Cityscapes
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| Dirleton |
Cityscapes may not have the dramatic 'wow' factor of the natural landscapes, but each of these places are lovely in their own special way. We also managed a little genealogy along the way. So, come along with us and let's explore the urban side of Scotland.
Wee Villages
Basically, these villages are small both in population and the geographical size of the town center. Typically, only one or two roads run through the town. But don't let their small size fool you. Each one has a lot to offer and are worth a visit.
Fort William. Popular place to stop while driving on the western side of Loch Lomond toward Isle of Skye or Loch Ness.
Plockton. A pretty town known for having palm trees!! The location keeps its climate temperate enough that they thrive here. An unusual site for sure. Palm trees aside, the setting is gorgeous.
   
Low Tide
Queensferry. One of my personal favorites.
Known for some famous bridges, the village itself has a real European feel with the narrow cobblestone streets and in its architecture.
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Portree. Largest town on the Isle of Skye. Known for
fresh fish n' chips served pier side. 
 
North Berwick. We would not have known about this spot if not for a suggestion from our AirBNB hosts in Inverness. Ideally situated between Dirleton and Tantellon Castles, it's a great place to stretch your legs and have a little lunch between tours of the ruins. Weather was perfect the day we visited as you can tell from all of the folks on the beach.
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Not Too Big, Not Too Small......Just Right
I think Goldilocks would find any of these next towns just right. The great thing about them all is that each one had its own 'feel'. No rubberstamp or lookalikes here. Each were great fun to visit. Of course, the nice weather helped too!
 
Inverness. We loved Inverness. It is a beautiful city which sits on the northern end of Loch Ness. The River Ness runs through the town and creates a great place to walk or bike. The neighborhoods around the city center are quiet and all of the homes are lovely. It seems to be a thriving town which we really enjoyed.
 
St. Andrews Cathedral
    | Paisley. On a picture perfect day, we walked around the town which was our home for 3 days. Situated just outside of Glasgow, it was a great jump off location for Scotland's largest city as well as the Loch Lomond area. Other popular attractions are within an hour's drive or so.  
Dundee. A quick stop in Dundee turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's much larger than we thought and seemed like an up and coming place. There's a great pedestrian outdoor space for shopping and lots of new construction down by Discovery Point. 
A comic character known as Desperate Dan walking through the town square.
 St. Andrews. Quite possibly the biggest surprise, but also a real favorite of ours. Known as the birthplace of golf, St. Andrews is so much more. It is an absolutely beautiful little town with a reknown university as well as the most incredible cathedral ruins we have ever seen. It is also the home to Mike's GG Grandmother Isabella Turpie Black. We were able to locate the final place she lived in town. St. Andrews really left an impression on us.  
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A very important town in Mike's family history. His grandmother, Wilhelmina Black emigrated from here in 1911. Needless to say, our original reason for visiting was to check out old family haunts. As with Ireland, it was so cool to walk in his ancestors footsteps and see where they lived, worked and worshiped. Adorable place!!
Here's the link to their story:
The Story of William and Wilhelmina McAuliffe
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A Tale of Two Cities: Glasgow and Edinburgh
Glasgow and Edinburgh are the two largest cities in Scotland. Each is uniquely different. It was interesting to see that Edinburgh seems to get more 'ink' in the tourist's information than Glasgow. I always found this to be a curious thing and wondered why. It would seem that Glasgow has had a bit of a reputation in the past of being a little rough around the edges, where as Edinburgh is cast as more refined. Walking around Glasgow, one can see that it is turning around with more modern architecture, highly renown museums and a lively art scene. It still manages to maintain its history, though. Some of the old buildings and churches are absolutely gorgeous.
One thing to admire in either city is that history is not torn down in order to make way for modern conveniences or to erase it. Where as Glasgow is 'artsy', Edinburgh embraces its royal roots and will not disappoint tourists who have an interest in Scottish/British Royal history. From bagpipers performing on the street to the 1:00 cannon at the iconic Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh gives visitors a good show. Both cities are a lot fun.
One thing to admire in either city is that history is not torn down in order to make way for modern conveniences or to erase it. Where as Glasgow is 'artsy', Edinburgh embraces its royal roots and will not disappoint tourists who have an interest in Scottish/British Royal history. From bagpipers performing on the street to the 1:00 cannon at the iconic Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh gives visitors a good show. Both cities are a lot fun.
Enough talking.....time to tour these two great places.
Glasgow
Time to close this post. We covered a lot of ground here and we aren't finished!! Be sure to continue the journey and join me as we end our Scottish tour with Part 3: Castles, A Fort and a Few Things Uniquely Scotland.
Happy Travels! 🚗✈🚢
Melody
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